Sony DCR-DVD650

Sony DCR-DVD650

DVDs were never a perfect solution for directly recording video to with a camcorder. The medium makes even less sense now with hard-disk-drive and flash-memory models reasonably priced and able to store much more video in far smaller packages. About the only advantage camcorders like the Sony Handycam DCR-DVD650 have is the ability to create on-the-spot DVDs--assuming what you're recording is less than 20 minutes long. The camcorder also has a 60x megazoom lens and is fairly easy to use; partly due to the touch-screen-based menu navigation and partly because of its dearth of shooting options. You can record video to Sony's Memory Stick cards, too, should you need to record larger amounts of video and need to transfer them to a DVD while away from a computer. However, as with most camcorders in its class, the video results are mediocre--especially if you're watching them full screen on a large HDTV or have gotten used to the detail of high-def content. Those wanting more recording flexibility can step up to the $429.99 DVD850 that offers 16GB of internal flash memory as well as the ability to record to 3-inch DVDs and Memory Sticks and transfer video directly from either internal or removable memory to DVDs. It also features Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.